GUILDERLAND — By a vote of 8 to 1, the school board here decided on Tuesday to call the federal holiday that falls on Oct. 9 this year solely by the name Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

When the board members discussed the proposed school calendar at their Jan. 10 meeting, the draft had designated the holiday as both Indigenous Peoples’ Day and as Columbus Day.

“The time to lead is now,” said board member Rebeca Butterfield.

Member Gloria Towle-Hilt, a retired Guilderland teacher, said she remembered teaching seventh-graders that, what Christopher Columbus had done in the 1400s, was like going to the moon. “For kids today, it’s more like going to Mars,” she said.

Towle-Hilt, who cast the sole dissenting vote, said she had “great respect for” Indigenous Peoples’ Day and thought it could co-exist on the calendar with Columbus Day but that Columbus Day should not be erased.

“Not having it on the calendar is wrong,” she said of Columbus Day.

“It’s hard to marry both names … when the holiday is shared between someone who committed genocide,” said Butterfield, arguing for eliminating Columbus Day.

Towle-Hilt responded, “The date wasn’t set up to honor someone who committed genocide. It was set up to honor someone who had done something unusual and spectacular at the time ….

“No one in history was a perfect person. It’s always a mix — the good and the bad. At that time in history, he was honored … [for] going out into the unknown and finding a continent. We can argue about what happened after that … There’s a lot of history on both sides.”

Towle-Hilt said people in the community had sent dozens of links on the issue and noted November is Native American Heritage Month and that New York State has designated Sept. 23 to honor Native Americans.

Warning he was going to “throw a bomb,” board member Nathan Sabourin asked, “Why don’t we get rid of all the names and just go with ‘holiday?’” That way, he said, people could celebrate whatever they wanted.

But he also said, “I think there’s some benefit in using Columbus Day.” Sabourin said he had an experience where his young child learned something from a teacher he didn’t want to name for fear she may get attacked.

He went on about Columbus Day, “That name allows us to examine how we teach history and how we understand history and how we can teach an accurate portrait of history.”

Board member Blanca Gonzalez-Parker said that, when she was a student at Guilderland High School, “Columbus was found guilty of genocide at this school. I was the prosecuting lawyer.”

She also said, “We have acknowledged Columbus Day for a while. Why not acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day for a while?”

“There is educational value in naming a holiday,” said the board's vice president, Kelly Person, suggesting more input was needed.

Several board members expressed impatience that the matter had been discussed for so long without resolution.

Superintendent Marie Wiles said, so as not to use more board resources, a group that is part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee could research the issue and make a recommendation.

“We’re just continuing to kick the can,” countered President Seema Rivera — and the vote was taken.